Centrifugal extractor.



WRBARTHOLOMEW.

CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR. v APPLICATION FlLEDvMAR.26. 19|Z.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1mi lll ...n U@ Q, :n

"Ell 2 W. BARTHOLOMEW.

CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR. APPLICATION FILEUMMLZB. 1912.

telit-ed Aug 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- tractors, of which the rinrrnn errar is PATEN I WILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR T0 TROY LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, LIMITED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CENTRIEUGAL gnxfrnnofron.

' Patented Aug-.31, i915.

T0 all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B Aivrnono- Mnw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iniCentrifugal Exfollowing is a specication.

My invention relates in general to laundry machinery, and more particularlyto centrifi ugal extractors.

In order that the rapidly revolving basket of a centrifugal extractor may be prevented from injuring the operator, interlocking or connecting mechanism between the power controller and the extractor cover` have been provided, which either automatically cut ed the driving power when the cover is opened, or prevent until after the controller has been actuated to discontinue the driving power. Such devices are, however, open to the serious objection that they afford no protection while the basket continues to revolve by momentum after the driving power has been disconnected, as the cover may then be raised and afford an opportunity` for the operator to carelessly place his or her hands in the extractor with 'thev resulting. danger of injury.

The primary object of my invention is to provide la centrifugal extractor in which the cover will be automatically securely locked -in closed position until the basket has ceased to revolve.

A further object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal extractor, in which the driving power cannot be applied to rotate the basket until the cover is closed, and in which the cover will be automatically locked in closed position as long as the basket continues to revolve.

A still further object of my invention is to provide the cover of a centrifugal extractor 'with a lock, which will be automatically Vactuated when the power is applied to securely retain the cover in closed position, and which will be automatically held in such'locked position while the basket continues to revolve after the power has been disconnected.

My invention will be more fully disclosed the opening of the coverl hereinafter*V with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated asenibodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which I Figure I is a side elevational View, a portion of the casing and basket being broken away; Fig. 2, a plan view with the cover 'closed and locked; Fig. 3, a detail elevaf tional view of the hasp of the cover, a por- 'tion thereof being broken away; and Fig. 4,

a` detail elevational view of the coperating parts of the belt shifter and lock actuating The same reference characters are used in the several figures of the drawings to designate the same parts.

A A indicates the casing, or curb, of the extractor which is provided with a supporting base B having a platform Z) at the botom thereof, which may be secured to the oor.

C designates the perforated basket within the casing A which is adapted to receive the clothes from which the water is to be extracted.

D designates ashaft which. is suitably connected to the basket C to rotate the same.

(Z indicates a pulley fixed upon the shaft I) and around which passes a belt E., The belt E passes around an idler pulley c and thence around a large pulley F fixed upon a counter shaft G. A bracket H is secured to the casing A and is provided with diverging arms in the ends of which the shaft G is journaled.4

G indicates a pulleyxed upon the shaft G, while G2 indicates a pulley loosely mounted upon the shaft G.

J indicates the power belt which is adapted to be shifted from theloose pulley to the tight pulley, or vice versa, shifting means. y

I have shown in the drawings a belt shifting means comprising a rod K which is mounted to reciprocate in bearings h and h2 projecting upwardly from the bracket H. A sleeve M is secured to the rod K by clamp screw mv and carries a pair of curved rods n between which the belt J passes.

L designates a lever for reciprocating the rod K and -thereby shifting the belt. This lever is fulcrumed at l upon one end of the by suitable belt bracket H and is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to an arm lc secured to the adjacent end of the rod K;

O designates a circular plate surrounding the opening through the top of the casing A which is provided with a water guard o.

P designates a cover which is pivoted by hinges pto the plate O and when closed prevents access to the interior ofthe casing and the basket inclo'sed therein.

The centrifugal extractor above described does not in itself constitute my invention, A but is illustrated and described in order that my invention may be fully disclosed. 1 It will be obvious from the subseqhent description that my-invention is not limited in its application to a centrifugal extractor of the specific construction above described, but is capable of use in connection with other forms Aof centrifugal extractors, and.l

similarl machines.

Q designates a bracket lprojecting upwardly from the edge of the cover P at a point adjacent its pivotal support upon the plate O. Pivotally connected to the bracket Qv is a rod g. which passes through a slot in the-water Guard 0 and is )rovided with an offset portion guided by a. bearing 1" formed' upon a bracket R `secured tothe underlying portion of the bracket H. Thel position of Athe bearing r 'is such'with relation to the I loose pulley, the rod K is Withdrawn from the path of the rod g,s`o that the 'cover'may beraised, and when raised, the.rod extends across the path of the belt shifting rod K, `thereby-preventing the belt from being shifted to the tightpulley. l

S designates a hasp pivotally connected by .the hinge s to the cover P. `S` designates a spring also secured to the cover P and engaging the hasp S, so as to oscillate the samedownwardly into engagement with the outer surface of the casing A. A lugs projects fromthe hasp S to the `rear of the 'hinge s to limit the upward movement of the hasp about its hinge and thereby protect the spring S from;being broken. The lower end of the hasp is provided with a chamber S2 through the inner wall of which is formed an elongated slot s2.

- T designates a wing or vane pivotally supported at its upper end by the stub shaft .t which extends through al bearing in the casing A,-and is provided on its outer end witha latch t of asize and shape to pass` through the slot s2 in the inner wall of thechamber S2of the hasp. The vane T is located'in the path of the current of air created by the rotation of the basket C.

U designates a curved rod substantially horizontally located upon the Wall of the casing A by meansv of bearings u secured to position. The rear end of the rod U is piv. i

otally connected. to the end of a crank fr formed on the end of a rod V, the latter.

passing through an opening in the casing A and being rotatably supported by bracket o secured to the bracket H. The end of the rod V which projects' through the bracket o is "provided with a crank V which projects upwardly into the path of trips 1V and W2 adjustably secured to the under surface of the sleeve M of the belt shifter by means of. screws w passing through elongated slots in the overlapping horizontal portions of thetrips.

The operation of my improved centrifugal extractor' is as follows: After the clothes from which the water is to be extracted havebeen placed in the perforated basket C, the cover P is closed which withdraws the rod g 'from the path of the rod K and permits "the belt shiftingV lever L to bejmoved from the dotted position shown in Fig. 2te its full lineposition, thereby shifting the belt J from the loose pulley Gr2 to the pulley G which is tight upon the shaft G. The shaft G is consequently rotated, which drives the belt E and rotates the spindle D and with it the basket C.

. Vhen the cover P is closed, the spring S- forces the .lower chambered end of the hasp over the latcht, the latter passing through The move# the slot s2 into 'the chamber S2. I ment of the rodvK in shifting the. belt to the tight pulleycasesflthe trip Wgto engage the cranktarm V of. the rod -V, thereby oscillating the samevand through theV pivotal connection of the crank arm fvonthe inner end'thereof with the curved rodfll reciprocating the latter so that .its forward end engages the'vane T and oscillates it to the position shown at the left in Fig. 3. This movement of the 'vane rotates the latch 't' within the. chamber S2 o f/ the hasp, so that thelatch is out of register with the slot s2,

-rent `of `air on the outside thereof in the direction in which the'basket rotates. The.

vane T is located n the path of'this current of air and is held by it in the oscillated position shown at the left in Fig. 3, thereby retaining the latch' in locked engagement with the hasp as long as the basket continues to rotate, even though the driving power vhas been disconnected from the basket'through the shifting of the belt tothe loose pulley.

and the current of air which it creates consequently is discontinued, the vane T oscillates by gravity to a `substantially vertical position, as shown at'the right of Fig. 3, thereby' bringing the latch t into registry with the slot s2, so that the hasp may be swung about its pivot out of engagement with the latch and the cover lifted to itsopen position. It will be observed that the shifting of the belt to the loose pulley causes the trip W to engage the crank arm V', as will be evident from F ig. 4, thereby reciprocating the rod ,U out of contact .with the vane, so that it will fall by gravity into a vertical position when the current of air is discontinued. The lifting of the cover projects the rod g into the path of the rod K, thereby preventing the shifting of the belt to the tight pulley until the cover has been again closed. 'b

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that I have invented improvements in centrifugal extractors by means of which their operation is rendered at all times entirely safe, as the cover is positively locked in closed position, not only during the connection of the driving power with the basket, but during the rotation of the basket by momentum after the discontinuance of the application ofpower to the basket. `It will be further observed that itisimpossible for the operator to apply driving power to the basket until the cover has first been closed, and that immediately upon the connection of the driving means with the basket, the cover will bepositively locked closed, and will be automatically held in its locked closed position after the disconnection of the driving means from the basket until the rotation of the basket ceases. The hands of the operator cannot, therefore,be inserted in the extractor while the basket is in motion.

While I have described more or less in detail the specific form in which I have illustrated my invention as embodied, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, proportion of parts, and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may require, or as may be deemed expedient, and while in the annexed claims my invention is defined as relatingY to centrifugal extractors, yetl I do-not wishV to be thereby understood as excluding the use of my invention for any analogous "purposes for which it may be irs adapted.

1. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket within said casing, Ymeans for driving the basket, a cover for closing the casing, means for automatically locking said cover in closed posiytion upon the connection of the driving means Vwith the basket, and means for automatically retaining ysaid cover locked in closed position during the rotation of the basket. 4

2. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket within said casing, means for controlling theapplication of power tol said basket, 'interlocking connections between said cover and controlling means for preventing the application of power tothe basket until the cover is closed, means for automatically locking said cover in closed position uponthe application of power to said basket, and means for automajticallyV retaining the cover locked in closed position during the rotation of the basket.

3. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket within said casing, means for controlling the application of power to said-basket, a lock for retaining the cover in closed position, means operated by said controlling means for actuating the lock when the power is applied to the basket, and means for automatically actuating said lock to retain the cover in closed position while the basket continues to rotate-after the discontinuance of the application of power to the basket.

4. `In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket within said casing, means for controlling the application of power to said basket, interlocking connections between said cover and controlling means' for preventing the application of power to the basket until the cover is closed, a lock for retaining said cover in closed position, means operated' by said controlling means for actuating said lock when power is applied to said basket, and means for automatically actuating said lock to retain said cover in closed position during the rotation 'ofsaid basket after the discontinuance of the application of power thereto.

cation of power to said basket, a lock for retaining the cover in closed position, means operated by said controlling means for actuating the lock when the power is applied to the basket, and a vane located in the path of the air current generated by the rotation of said basket operatively connected to said lock to actuate the same to retain said cover in closed position.

6. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a v rotary basket within said casing, means for controlling the application of power to said basket, a cover for closing said casing, locking means actuated by the air current generated by the rotation of said basket for retaining said` cover in closed position, a reciprocating rod engaging said locking means to actuate the same, and means operated by said controlling means for reciprocating said rod to actuate said lockingn means lwhen power is applied to said 4 basket. f 1

' 71 In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket Within said casing, afcover for closing sald ca's1ng, a

reciprocating beltV shifting rod, a lock for said cover, and vmeans actuated by said belt shifting rod when moved to shift the belt t0 the tight pulley for operating said lock to 10 retain said cover` in closed positionJ said means permitting the operation of said lock l to allow the lifting of saidcover when moved to shiftv thebelt to the loose pulley.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, A. L. WALTON. 

